Projectile fuze for a gun with a rifled bore



Aug. 8, 1967 S'MMEN 3 3,334,589

PROJECTILE FUZE FOR A GUN WITH A RIFLED BORE Filed Nov. 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1967 R. SIMMEN 3,334,589 I PROJECTILE FUZE FOR A GUN WITH A RIFLED BORE Filed Nov. 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheetfi INVENTOR P w/er 57mm ATTORNEY United States Patent land Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,652 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Feb. 7, 1964, 1,486/ 64 1 Claim. (CL 102-84) The present invention has for its object a missile fuze for a gun provided with a rifled bore, said fuze including safety means operating during transportation and safety means operating during flight and designed in a manner such as to hold a primer carried by a movable support away from its cocked position, during a predetermined period following the starting of the shot, by means of a delay producing escapement while a firing system incorporating a striker subjected to the action of a spring is controlled by said time switch which includes a toothed sector adapted to pivot round an axis parallel with the general axis of the fuze and carrying an eccentric mass urging said toothed sector into angular movement under the action of centrifugal force.

According to the invention, the toothed sector of said missile fuze has an arcuate edge centered round the pivotal axis of the sector and the striker engages said edge through a collar coaxial with the striker and is released with reference to said toothed sector only when the latter has executed a complete angular movement, said toothed sector being furthermore rigid with a bolt holding the movable support against movement and releasing said movable support only when the toothed sector has executed a fraction of its angular movement.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example a preferred embodiment of this improved fuze. In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of the fuze.

FIG. 2 is a view from above of the mechanism of said fuze.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section through line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section through line 1VIV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through line VV of FIG. 3 showing the fuze in its protected condition.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the fuze at the moment of the firing of its charge.

FIG. 7 is a view of a detail of the support and associated bolt.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the mechanism in its firing condition.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the fuze at the moment at which the means providing safety during transportation have released the fuze.

The missile fuze for a gun with a rifled bore comprises as illustrated a body including a plurality of plates 1 to 9. Between the plates -1 and 2 there are fitted the safety means operating during the flight of the missile. Said safety means include a primer 10 carried in an opening 11 provided in a support 12 pivotally carried between the plates 1 and 2 round a spindle 13 (FIG. 3). A spring 14 urges said support 12 into clockwise rotation when seen in FIG. 5 so as to hold the primer 10 in a well-defined unarmed position lying out of the path followed by a striker 15 extending axially of the fuze. However, the primer-carrying support 12 is provided with a weight 16 which is subjected to the action of centrifugal force acting on the fuze at the moment of the starting of the missile and consequently said weight opposes the stress ex- "ice erted by the spring 14 and urges the support 12 into an anti-clockwise direction. However, a bolt 17 prevents such an anti-clockwise pivotal movement as long as a toothed sector 18 adapted to pivot round a spindle 19 has not been shifted out of a predetermined position shown in FIG. 5 into the firing position illustrated in FIG. 6.

Said toothed sector 18 extends between the plates 2 and 4 in a cut out section 20 of the plate 3. Said sector 18 carries a weight 21 which, when subjected to centrifugal force, urges the sector 18 into a pivotal movement in an anti-clockwise direction when seen in FIG. 5. Said toothed sector is provided with an arcuate slot 22 coaxial with the pivotal spindle 19 of the sector. The edges 23 and 24 of said arcuate slot are adapted to serve as bearing surfaces for a collar 25 carried by the striker 15. Said striker is adapted to slide axially inside a bore 26 provided in the plate 4.

A spring 27 engaging the plate 5 exerts a pressure on the collar 25 so as to downwardly urge the striker 15 which is axially held in position by the edges 23 and 24 of the slot 22 in the toothed sector 18. The bolt 17 adapted to hold the support 12 in its inoperative starting position is integral with the pivotal spindle 19 of the toothed sector 18.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, said bolt 17 is constituted by an eccentric extension of said spindle 19, which is recessed throughout a fraction of its thickness so as to allow the support 12 to pass when the recessed section of said extension of the spindle 19 registers with said support 12.

The teeth28 of the sector 18 mesh with the pinion 29 carried by a spindle 30 pivotally carried between the plates 2 and 7. Said pinion 29 is rigid with a wheel 31 meshing with a pinion 32 pivotally carried between the plates 5 and 8. Said pinion 32 is rigid with a wheel 33 meshing with a pinion 34 rigid with an escapement wheel 35. The system including the pinion 34 and the escapement wheel 35 is rigid with a spindle 36 pivotally carried between the plates 5 and 9. A balance wheel 37 cooperating with the escapement wheel is pivotally carried with its axle 38 between the plates 8 and 9. Said balance wheel 37 is carried inside a recess 39 of the plate 9 which carries two arcuate levers 40 each pivoting around spindles 41 fitted in said plate 9. A spring 42 urges each of said levers 40 in an anti-clockwise movement as seen in FIG. 2. Each lever 40 carries in the vicinity of its end a pin 43 extending downwardly through an arcuate opening 44 formed in the plate 9. Said pins 43 are adapted to lock the balance wheel 37 by engaging a notch 48 in the latter. The operation of the mechanism described is as follows:

As long as the fuze is in its inoperative position, for instance during the storing of the missile on which it is fitted or else during transportation of the fuze, the levers 40 hold the balance wheel 37 locked under the action of their springs 42. Said levers 40 thus form a safety system during transportation, which prevents any untimely operation of the escapement wheel 35 associated with the balance wheel 37. In its starting locked position, the toothed sector 18 lies in the position illustrated in FIG. 5 for which the bolt 17 also prevents any movement of the support 12 which is furthermore held in its inoperative starting position by the spring 14. As to the striker 15, it is held in its inoperative starting position by its collar 25 engaging the edges 23 and 24 of the slot 22 in the sector 18.

When the missile is propelled out of a gun provided with a rifled bore, said missile is subjected to a high speed of rotation round its axis; under the action of the centrifugal force thus produced, the levers 40 move away from each other and their pins 43 release the balance wheel 37. The weight 21 on the selector 18 which is subjected to centrifugal force urges said sector 18 in an anticlockwise direction as seen in FIG. 5. The teeth 28 on the sector 18 then drive into rotation the wheels 29 to 34 and consequently therewith the escapement wheel 35.

The latter revolves consequently stepwise under the action of the reciprocation of the balance wheel 37.

The support 12 also begins pivoting anticlockwise as seen in FIG. 5 under the action of the weight 16 and against the action of the spring 14. However, said pivoting movement is prevented by the bolt 17 as long as the sector 18 has not extended at least a fraction of its allowed movement and, in the case illustrated, as long as the sector 18 has not reached a position near the end of its travel as illustrated in FIG. 6. As soon as the bolt 17 releases the support 12, the latter occupies the position illustrated in FIG. 6, for which position the primer is located on the axis of the fuze underneath the tip of the striker 15. For this position, a spring 45 carried inside the recess 46 carrying the primer 10 urges said primer 10 into a central opening 47 in the plate 1. The support 12 is thus locked in its ready-to-fire position.

As soon as the sector 18 has reached its final position, the collar 25 of the striker moves off the edges 23 and 24 of the slot 22, which allows the spring 27 to urge the striker 15 onto the primer 10, that is into the position illustrated in FIG. 8. The missile is thus fired at this moment.

Numerous modifications to the fuze described herein above may be imagined within the scope of the accompanying claim. Thus, the retaining edge for the collar 25 of the striker 15, instead of being constituted by the outline of a slot 22, may be constituted by the outer edge of the sector 18; as to the bolt 17, it may as well be constituted by a member independent of the spindle 19 and be rigidly secured for instance on the sector 18.

According to a still further modification, the escapement system, instead of being of the free balance wheel type, may be of the type incorporating a balance wheel subjected to the action of a torsional or flexional spring.

I claim:

A delayed action fuze unit for missiles used in rifle bored cannons during storage and handling prior to placing in the cannon for firing, said unit comprising:

a striker (15) disposed axially of the fuze unit and having a collar (25),

a spring (27) engaging said collar for urging said striker to firing position,

spindle (13) eccentric to the axis of the striker,

a support (12) pivotally mounted at one end on said spindle (13) for angular movement and spring (14) biased for rotation away from the axis of the striker,

a primer (10) on said support and disposed radially of said spindle (13) normally to maintain the same in a well defined unarmed position out of the path of the striker (15),

a weight (16) on the support (12) subject to the action of centrifugal force acting on the spring (14) at the moment of starting the missile to oppose the force of the spring (14) and urge the support in an anticlockwise direction,

a sector (18) having teeth (28) and pivoted on a second spindle (19) and also having an arcuate open end slot (22, 23, 24) whose opposite edges normally support the collar (25), until the striker (15) is released,

a bolt (17) constituted by an eccentric extension of said second spindle (19) preventing premature aforesaid anticlockwise movement of the support a pinion (29) adapted for engagement with the teeth (28) of the sector (18),

a clockwork unit (31-36) for actuating said pinion (29), and including a balance wheel (37),

and a pair of arcuate levers (40) each carrying a pin (43) adapted to lockingly engage with said balance wheel until separated by centrifugal force to set the clockwork in operation and operate said pinion (29).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,449,170 9/ 1948 MacLean et al 102-84 2,821,925 2/1958 Varaud 102-84 2,897,760 8/1959 Mott-Smith 10284 3,039,392 6/1962 Simmen 102-71 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primazy Examiner.

G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

